While labeling Spikes’ style “effective,” the New England Patriots head coach said Wednesday that the second-round draft pick doesn’t necessarily get the job done in textbook manner.

“I’m not really sure exactly what his style is,” Belichick said prior to Wednesday afternoon’s training camp practice on the fields located behind Gillette Stadium. “Our defense is a lot different than what they ran at Florida. Obviously, he’s a big, physical player, but I’d like to watch him in our defense a little bit. I think he’s got some unique skills.

“For a tall player (Spikes is listed at 6-foot-2, but he appears taller), he’s got probably more quickness than most guys, probably a little more leverage than a lot of other tall players. He does a lot of things well. It’s kind of not by the book, but (it’s) effective. So I don’t know.

“I was just talking to him down there this morning about a couple things that he was doing that are not exactly the way that everybody does them, but he does them effectively and I don’t think you need to change it.

“It’s just that it’s a little bit different and so how he adapts to certain situations might not be quite the same as, say, Jerod (Mayo) or Gary (Guyton) or somebody else does it, but I think he does it and has done it effectively.

“It will be interesting to see how some of those things come together,” said Belichick. “Some may change and become a little more conventional. Some may be a little less conventional, but hopefully, equally effective. He’s an interesting player to coach.”

Spikes’ approach?

“Whatever I see,” he said, “I read it and I go.”

Not fast enough to satisfy NFL teams, who allowed Spikes’ stock to drop to the 62nd pick of the April draft after his testing in the 40-yard dash (5.06) led many to question if he could make an impact at this level.

Less than four months later, Spikes appears to be catching on rather quickly in his first NFL camp where he’s vying for time with Guyton (the returning starter is currently injured) and 2009 third-round pick Tyrone McKenzie for time alongside Mayo.

Spikes, who was credited with 307 tackles over four seasons at Florida where he became only the third linebacker in NCAA football since 1996 to return four interceptions for touchdowns in his career, has seldom looked out of place in camp, although Belichick’s comments caught him off guard.

“That surprised me when he said that,” said Spikes. “I just try to play the game the old-school way. Guys that play aggressive, downhill-kind of linebackers, and just try to mold myself after that.”

Page 2 of 2 - Old school or new wave, according to Belichick, Spikes’ unconventional style covers both the fundamental and mental aspects of the game.

“He sees some things that I’m not sure everybody sees,” said the coach. “He’s kind of got a little bit of his own … He’s an instinctive player and he sees things. I don’t know if they’re exactly the textbook way that you would read the plays, but he reads them.

“It’s interesting to kind of work him into our system. Again, really being a 4-3 middle linebacker in the front and system that they played, which (was) just different than what we do. And now he’s playing more on the guard and being uncovered with the guard as opposed to being covered playing behind a one-technique or a defensive guy in front of him.

“It’s just a little bit different, but he does things well. It’s a little bit of a transition, but a good one.”